Oh HAI FRIENDS! I've missed you terribly. The insanity that is my life has finally settled down a bit and I would love nothing more than to be allowed to come back and play with you guys. I know I've defined flaky in the past, so I wanted to make sure it was cool with everyone. If I get the green light, if you want to catch me up on what your characters have been doing, any plots, what my guys have done while NPC, etc. etc. that would be AWESOME.

I'm not on AIM very much. I'm almost always on g-chat, my g-mail is kailaissotall@gmail.com. I'm also on FB a lot so if we're friends there, send me a message or a chat, if we're not, go ahead and add me!

So I'm back from DC. Finally. Apparently some computer smuggling operation was actually being operated by terrorist cells. Usually we immediately loose jurisdiction on a case like that (ah my initial naive hopes), but instead the Feds turned around and enlisted us. I guess the chain of evidence was back too far into the NYPD to be completely absorbed by the Feds (I'm really surprised the Patriot Act didn't cover that one... :rolls eyes:). So come trial time the DA volunteers me to go down to work with the US Attorney General's office. I still haven't decided whether it's a compliment or an insult, frankly I haven't had time. I don't know why I couldn't have worked in conjunction with the US Attorney General based in the City like I have in past federal cases, but I have a feeling it had to do with military intelligence.

Hadn't been down to that area since well, I was born, and it always amazes me how different it is than New York. Everyone you meet how some government tie... and it's a lot cleaner.

But no longer am I the Fed's toy (they really look down on the NYPD and NY DA's office like we're amateurs as I'm sure everyone who has any experience with them meddling in their cases knows). It's nice to be home and it was even nicer to be back at Cole's.

Back to the daily grind... hopefully MCS hasn't burnt anything down yet (and I mean in the DA department, not even at 1PP, that'd be too hopeful).

So Natalie, my typical teenage "too cool for anything" niece, is still in the City. She's decided she's never stepping foot in Arizona again and is going to live here. She turned 18 at the beginning of December (and went and pierced her eyebrow to celebrate) so there's not much me, my brother or my sister-in-law can do about it. Well, I take that back. Her parents have cut her off and practically disowned her, leaving me as the only close family she has left.

I made a deal with her, she could continue to stay on my couch provided she gets a GED and a job. I'm paying for her GED classes (I'm shocked she's actually going, she had no interest in finishing school even with a semester left, although I later found out she was more credits short than that and had been doing poorly in her school in Scottsdale for awhile). She's also found a job as a cocktail waitress at a goth club called the Pump Room in west Chelsea close to where I live. She's aiming to make enough money to move out on her own and go to art school, we'll see...

I had a nice breakfast with Cole and Max the other day. It was nice and relaxing I can say that much. I'm lucky as hell to have him in my life, most guys just can't deal with my crazy work hours and random disappearances. I guess that's one of the perks of dating a cop, his hours are just as bad, if not more so, than mine.

Other than that just been McCoy's toy working cases. No big MCS ones so I've been lending a in the Legal Training Unit. If that sounds like a punishment, it most certainly is. It's usually where they stick the new, less than competent ADAs. I've been the group "leader" so to speak.

That's about it. With the family situation sorted out, you'll be seeing a lot more of me. That includes you Ms. Rubirosa. I could use a drink.

(OOC- I apologize again for the extended absence, if you read my personal LJ, you'll know I was hospitalized. I'm back and miss you all and want to play!)

No cooking, no family, nice and calm. A great way to unwind after the DA's office decided to test if I had super human powers and first chair two cases concurrently.y guess is they were feeling the budget cut from the higher downs and decided they no longer needed 20 worthless inexperienced new ADAs and cut it down to 5. The point is after two months of being essentially a ghost (my friends probably think I moved back west, my boyfriend may be dating someone else, and if not I doubt his son remembers who I am anymore) I just wanted to enjoy my vacation before working my way back into normal society.

That was until my 17 year old niece showed up at my apartment this morning. There's still a lot of explaining to do, which I'm sure can be accomplished over a nice Thanksgiving dinner of General Tso's and chow mein.

Today I got a call from McCoy to inform me I was being assigned to a homicide case. Seeing as I'm the Major Case ADA and NOT the Homicide ADA I was confused. I figured I'd at least be working with Connie... not against her as opposing counsel.

How can switching an ADA to an appointed defense attorney AFTER said ADA has been involved with building the prosecution's case be legally ethical in the slightest? Guess I wouldn't know, I'm just some lowly senior ADA, not a judge.

Excuse my being melodramatic, but frankly I'm not in the mood for this.

Just because I burnt dinner didn't mean the night had to commence into a giant argument. I'm not distant, I don't have a problem with drinking or cleaning or keeping my temper anything else and the chicken tasted fine. So much for thinking things would be smooth sailing after the trial. Now on top of all this the public defenders are on strike.

Why am I an ADA again? Maybe I should quit my job and go join my brother, being a nomadic raft guide in the middle of the mountains. Seven years of postsecondary eduction be damned.

It's August? Oh.... I guess I lost my calender or something. I kid, I kid, I'm not -that- disorganized... :looks down at desk: Okay, maybe I am.

Seems like just yesterday I was in Canada with Cutter. Black robes and referring to opposing counsel as Ms. Parker... it was absolutely wonderful. Not that I should judge an entire country on a single court appearance. I brought back tacky maple leaf shot glasses for Connie and a stuffed hockey playing moose for Max. Sometimes buying into stereotypes is fun.

Between the case and softball I haven't had time for much. I try to see Cole as much as possible, which is never enough.

I can't wait for the trial to be over. Then I can go back to being plain overworked, from wildly overworked.

Tags:

I've been on hold with the Bureau of Consular Affairs for almost an hour. Or maybe I'm still on the phone with the Department of State or the New York passport agency. Who knows. I never knew expediting a passport renewal would be so tedious. It's not my fault the last time I left the country was the summer after I graduated high school.

Looks like we're (meaning Cutter and myself) are going to Canada. Joy... eh. I should probably get back to prepping for the extradition hearing while enjoying this wonderful elevator music.

Maybe I'm just bitter because of the headache I have from last night. Connie... snark much? :grins: